


Clarity

by Nightshade_Blaize



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, GabeNath Reverse Bang (Miraculous Ladybug), GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020, Gabriel Agreste shows his softer side, Post-Canon, Stargazing, fluff sprinkled with some angst in the middle, passage of time - freeform, two authors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:46:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightshade_Blaize/pseuds/Nightshade_Blaize
Summary: A year after Hawkmoth’s surrender, Gabriel asks Nathalie to join him to gaze at the stars. While she waits for him, she contemplates the empty space left by the removal of the portrait from the foyer hall. Growth ensues for them both as they learn to just be by each other’s side.
Relationships: Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 16
Kudos: 33
Collections: GabeNath Reverse Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wordseeker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wordseeker/gifts).



> so excited to get to bring this piece to life for Wordseeker and PnFLover. All my thanks goes to ChaseDawg for his amazing beta skills and patience.

Nathalie is standing in the main hall, her hand placed loosely on the balustrade. Her fingertips are tapping the cold marble as she waits in silence. The only sound her ears register is Gabriel's voice, coming from his office every ten seconds, more or less. He mostly lets out simple yes' and no's, more elaborate sentences less often, but she's not listening anyway. She is consumed in her own thoughts, the reason being the wall her eyes are fixed on - the newly empty wall. There used to be a painting there, large, dark and imposing. Whenever a visitor crossed the threshold (which hardly ever happened), the first thing they would see was that picture. A picture of grief, of loss. Mourning was all that mattered in this household and if you were lucky enough to be let in, you had to know it before anything else.

The painting is no more. It was removed a few days ago, but nothing replaces it. The wall is empty, it looks odd. There's nothing Nathalie can do with it, though. She doesn't even know what she wants to do with it. Maybe Gabriel will order another family portrait? With him, Adrien and... no, that's ridiculous. Why did she just think of it? She brushes away the thought. ‘Let the wall be empty for now, it will be fine.’ she tells herself instead.

Finally she hears the door on her left opening. She turns her head to see Gabriel. "Sorry I kept you waiting," he says as he tucks the phone into his pocket and looks back at her. "You know Mr. Darcy, how precise he is when it comes to details of orders." her lips corners uplift a bit when he does an emphasizing eye roll. It is true that Darcy never left space for misconceptions, truly, one of the best kinds of client.

Nathalie follows Gabriel to the car and right after they fasten their seatbelts, she asks "Care to finally tell me where we're going?", but the only answer she gets is a smug look on his face. Alright, if that's his game, she will play along - no more questions. Around twenty minutes later, she notices they're leaving the main city and are heading towards the suburbs. Not a direction she would expect Gabriel to take, but her interest in what he's planned for tonight grows. It's not a date... well, maybe it is, especially regarding what day it currently was, but it may be an innocent coincidence. They've had their moments this past year, but had never intentionally gone out together in their free time before—never really spoke about it even. Not until yesterday when Gabriel, standing behind his screen, asked if Nathalie wanted to spend time with him the following night. It took everything she had not to start squealing and jumping on her desk. She hid it in her eyes and soft smile, and simply agreed, much to his delight. She proposed the hour and was told to dress casually.

So here she is; in a passenger seat, wearing skinny jeans and an oversized sweater, wondering where she is being taken on this outing that is most certainly not a date, but possibly a date she's been waiting to be asked for. It's not like she believed a woman cannot ask a man out, but in this case... Gabriel had to take the first step.

"Alright, we're here." he switches off the engine as he speaks.

"Here?" There is doubt in Nathalie's voice. She gives her companion a confused look, but he's only smiling. "We're in the middle of nowhere! I can't see a thing."

"Is that a problem though?" When she shrugs her arms, he gets up. "Are you staying here?"

She sighs at the verbal jab, but can't refrain from smiling and leaves the vehicle too.

A better perspective doesn't help her much. In close proximity, there are houses on both sides of the street, a settlement... She turns around and sees an undeveloped grass field. Gabriel walks past her, he's carrying a wicker basket? And a blanket? So it is…

"A picnic?" She can't hide her surprise as she follows him.

"Better." he does a dramatic pause. "A stargazing picnic!"

Nathalie can't remember the last time she saw him this excited, especially about something so simple, but she missed this Gabriel badly. She lets out a giggle before they start setting everything.

Luckily, the weather is favorable. The sky is clear, and the temperature is a bit high for an April night, but a cool wind makes up for it. Yes, wearing a sweater is definitely saving her from freezing, no need to mention her boss is well prepared himself. At the top of it, he even brought some tea in the vacuum bottle! This item in Gabriel's hands composes an odd but surprisingly pleasing image, the kind you'd never think of, but actually enjoy when it's in front of you. Nathalie takes a sip and to his companion's glee, she realizes it's her favorite. She's going to enjoy this night.

Around ten minutes later, they are laying on the blanket big enough to freely contain both of them on its surface. Their focus is on the sky. They try to identify stars, but Gabriel cannot remember much from what his grandfather taught him, nor can Nathalie from summer camps she used to attend in her youth, so they often laugh at the names they make up.

"Adrien asked me about buying a star for his mom." Gabriel lets out these words very casually.

"Oh, that’s interesting." Nathalie turns her head to face him. Her heart is heavy from the mention of the woman that used to consume all of their lives... and still does, to some extent. But she doesn't have a choice other than to play along, not yet. So, she plays. "I don’t know that Emilie would ever want something like this… but I don't know what I'd do in your place."

Gabriel raises a brow at her.

"Me? He'll decide if he wants to do it, I didn't even need to know."

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like something you would just let slide."

"The last thing I need is to be thinking of Emilie whenever I look at the sky." he firmly states.

‘Fair enough,’ Nathalie admits. Oh, this man is _so_ hard to read. He started the matter, but he doesn't want to talk about it? Maybe he's trying to prove something, but... it does quite the opposite. His assistant knows him well enough to acknowledge that this is the right moment for a change of topics.

“I really do appreciate you bringing me out here, sir.” She relaxed and turned to gaze back up at the twinkling lights above them, “it’s peaceful.” 

The night air became colder, forcing the two of them to depart and return to the mansion. The ride home is mostly silent, with few words passed between the two of them from time to time. When they arrive, Nathalie pauses before getting out of the car.

“I did have fun. Maybe next time we should bring Adrien along.” She suggests, hoping that Gabriel will at least consider including his son for once. Gabriel considers her request for a moment and then frowns and looks away. 

“Gabriel?”

“We should go inside.” He opens the door of the car and climbs out himself. Nathalie sighs and follows him up the steps and back into the foyer of the mansion. For a brief moment, after Gabriel has vanished once more into the atelier, her eyes settle on the blank wall once more. How peculiar, the way the portrait being gone made that space look so much larger. 

“Nathalie?” Adrien’s cautious voice draws her from her reverie and she turns to face the boy.

Adrien frowns, his shoulders set back as he studies her. He looks past her to the wall and releases a sigh he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” He walked up to stand next to her. “I got so used to seeing the mourning portrait that now that it’s gone, it feels like part of the mansion is missing without it.”

Nathalie looks back to the wall and nods. 

“I’m still not used to it being gone… but it’s nice to not have such a somber reminder hanging over our heads every day.” She offers Adrien a small smile. “Maybe something more cheerful will take its place someday”

“I hope father considers replacing it soon. We could use an updated family portrait.” He laughs. “Maybe if he’s feeling generous, we can even get one with you in it.” Adrien says cheerfully, his eyes sparkling with hope. She furrows her brow, appreciative of the sentiment but a bit uncomfortable with the forwardness. 

“Adrien… I appreciate the thought but I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” She tries to explain. “It wouldn’t be proper and might make your father uncomfortable.” It was true, the elder Agreste had gotten better about managing his grief regarding his late wife in the last year, but the sting of the pain was still omnipresent in the back of his mind. They had both agreed early on in… well, whatever their relationship could be called... to go at Gabriel’s chosen pace and no faster, lest a faster progress cause old wounds to reopen. She pulls on her sleeve and checks the time again. “It’s getting late, Adrien. I’m going to bed and I advise you to do the same soon.” With those final words, Nathalie goes up the stairs and heads toward her room.

Adrien huffs but seems to consider her words, tilting his head to the side as he studies the empty space. He looks back at Nathalie a few more times, his brain turning over ideas that he would have to bring to his father later. Once Nathalie’s bedroom door closes securely, Adrien turns on his heel and walks toward the atelier, ready to present his idea to his father.


	2. Chapter 2

When Nathalie wakes the next morning, it is to the heavenly smell of warm cinnamon. It was one of many things she had come to enjoy during her time staying here; the delicious breakfast and steady supply of fresh coffee. She sits up in bed and stretches before going into her bathroom to prepare for the day.

She washes her face and studies her reflection. The Nathalie in the mirror is paler, more frail looking than she had been before, but she was looking better. She sighs and brushes her hair before securing it back into a neat, tidy bun. As she is finishing up, she hears a knock at the door. 

“Nathalie? Are you going to join us?” 

“I’ll be down in just a minute.” 

Nathalie wondered to herself what the cause of the knock had been. It was unusual for Gabriel to send anyone up to check on her, much less Adrien. Though, maybe Adrien had just taken it upon himself to see where she was. She checks her phone and panics as she sees the screen is black and unresponsive. She runs into her bedroom, searching desperately for a battery backup and a source of time. A cry of despair escapes her lips as a quick check of her watch confirms her worst fears, her phone dying had caused her to sleep in and she was now exactly two hours late for work.

Gabriel was reading news articles and a few business reports when Nathalie finally made it down to the dining room. He glances up at her over his glasses and regards her; she is disheveled due to her panic. He holds her gaze for a moment before looking back to the screen. 

“You’re late.”

Nathalie looked away, somewhat ashamed.

“My apologies sir. My phone died and my alarm didn’t go off.” she manages to get out, though she keeps her eyes averted. Gabriel sighs and sets the tablet down. 

“Calm down Nathalie. I’m not going to fire you or kick you out for something accidental and minor like that. You rarely ever oversleep and if doing so means you actually managed to get a good night's rest for once, I’m more than willing to overlook it.” He pauses to take a drink from the mug in front of him. “Join us, Adrien thought it would be nice for us to have breakfast as a family. There’s plenty for you as well, and more than enough space at the table.”

Nathalie did not wish to risk wasting this moment of Gabriel feeling gracious and melted into a chair at the spacious table. She pulled at her sleeve, wondering where Adrien had wandered off to.

As if her thoughts were capable of altering reality, the boy came into the room from the kitchen. He was holding a tray containing toast, a variety of spreads, and even fresh fruit.

“Sorry it took so long father, Nathalie.” Adrien was particularly chipper this morning. Nathalie almost had to shield her eyes from how bright he was shining. He set the tray down and began passing around plates. Nathalie glanced toward Gabriel for an answer for the change in the boy's mood but he had busied himself with another news article. 

“What brought this on?” She asks, taking a slice and the cherry jam. 

Adrien was wiggling in his seat. “Father said we could look around and discuss ideas on what to put on the wall in the foyer today!” 

‘Ah,’ Nathalie thinks as she takes a measured bite. ‘So they let me sleep in so they could go and do that today.’ 

“You’re coming with us, right Nathalie?” Adrien's voice disrupted her train of thought. When she looked back at him, he was making a pouting face as though he were a small child trying to plead with her to allow him a cookie before dinner.

“I hadn’t…. exactly planned on….” She fusses with her sleeve as her voice trails off, ignoring them both as they resumed their conversation. A small part of her hopes that both of the Agrestes will just continue to ignore her presence and let her finish out the day largely unnoticed. Unfortunately, it seems today just isn’t that kind of day.

“Well if we can’t agree then maybe we should just leave it blank.” She bites back the angry retort that comes to mind when she hears Gabriel’s biting tone and instead gives him a withering look. Adrien took that as his cue to leave and quietly excuses himself. 

“You told me you weren’t going to argue with him anymore.” She crosses her arms once they are alone again.

“And I haven’t. He and I could not agree, so we reached a mutual decision to put it off.” Gabriel replies, softer now.

“That’s not what it sounded like to me.” Nathalie mumbles, looking away from him before adding. “I know you prefer to be firm with him but he can’t always take the brunt of your frustration.” She looks up when she hears his chair move away from the table. Her eyes follow Gabriel as he moves closer to her and kneels to her level, taking her hand.

“I’ll talk to him later… will that suffice for now?” She wants to retort that it won’t but she finds herself lost in his eyes again and can only nod and hope that he will actually follow through on that promise.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks later, it was raining. Nathalie shivers slightly as she pulls her sweater tighter against her body, willing the warmth to spread faster. The seasons changing had brought an unwanted cold front and she now had to suffer through it. Unfortunately, the rain had also impeded on whatever plans Gabriel had made and he had immediately holed up in the lair a few hours ago after giving her strict orders not to follow him. 

She was about to consider ordering out for some soup when a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She wills her heart to slow as she glares over her shoulder at him accusingly. Gabriel holds his hands up in mock defense and steps back. 

“I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”

“Well, you could have at least warned me you were there. Where have you been all day, anyways? Surely you haven’t just been hiding in there this whole time.”

Gabriel’s mouth formed into a self satisfied grin as he held out his hand to her.

“Come with me.” He offered. Nathalie studied the hand and the man for a moment before conceding and taking his hand with her own and pulling herself to stand. Gabriel smirked and spun her around and covered her eyes with his free hand.

“No peeking~” he whispered teasingly, guiding her up and through the room to the hidden lift. Once they were standing right over the platform, he released her to key in the code. Nathalie stumbled a bit when they began to move and he held her closer. 

“Easy, don’t panic.” 

“Easy for you to say, you can see where we’re going,” she mumbled but let him keep leading her along. Once they reached the landing, Gabriel removed his hand from over Nathalie's eyes and allowed her to look at what he had prepared.

Whatever Nathalie had been expecting, this definitely hadn’t been it. There were candles and flowers tastefully scattered all over the open room that just a year prior, Gabriel had been using as his sanctuary while he terrorized Paris. Nathalie released a breath she hadn’t known she was holding as she stepped into the room to more fully take in the scene. Gabriel had even laid out their stargazing blanket and opened the iris of the rose window fully, allowing the moon to peek through the last few remnants of the rain that had plagued the day. 

“This is incredible…” she whispered. “How? Why?” Each question died on her lips as quickly as she could think of it.

“You seemed upset about not being able to go out tonight, this seemed like the next best option.” He explained matter of factly. “We can still enjoy the stars and the night sky, without the wet grass.” Nathalie covered her mouth to hide the slight smile that came at this rare display of the man’s sweeter, more caring side. 

“You really did think of everything, didn’t you?” She laughed as she watched Gabriel go so far as to uncover a container that, based on the smell, Nathalie had to assume contained the very soup she had been about to order. He gave a soft smile as he nodded. 

“I’m not someone who doesn’t plan for things Nathalie, you’ve worked for me long enough to know that.” He smoothed out the blanket and motioned for her to join him. Nathalie carefully uses her toe to slip off her pumps before sitting next to him, her legs reflexively curling under her body. Gabriel passed her a cup of the soup and a spoon before joining her to gaze out at the night sky.

“I was afraid you were lonely up here.” she admitted, pausing to blow on her soup. “it’s always been so dark and depressing… I never imagined you were up here doing… this.”

“I wanted to do something special for you, Nathalie. And maybe we could even watch the stars from higher up when it gets warmer again.”

“That would be wonderful…” Nathalie mused, moving closer so that she just barely pressed against Gabriel’s side.

They passed the night, much like they had before, talking, stargazing, and just enjoying each other’s company.


	3. Chapter 3

By November, the picnics had become an almost weekly occurrence, a few hours set aside at the end of Friday for the two of them to unwind and enjoy each other’s company without having to worry about the world outside. During these times, they rarely spoke about work related topics, which is why it came as such a surprise to Nathalie when Gabriel turned to her and told her Mr. Darcy was planning a holiday party and had extended an invitation to him. Nathalie had raised her brow in question at him.

“So, do you intend to take him up on that offer?”

“I’d be a fool not to, He’s been good for business and it would be unwise to get on his bad side just yet.”

“Sir, you don’t…” Nathalie tried to find the word.

“Of course, I’ll only go if you go with me.” There was the catch she’d been waiting for.

“With all due respect sir,” she began carefully, “these kinds of events aren't necessarily the kind you’d bring your assistant to.” In truth, her blood threatened to boil at the thought of one of the brainless models under his employ hanging off his arm and standing too close. 

“I’m not asking you as your boss, Nathalie. I’m asking as a friend.” He clarified. Nathalie froze. She hadn’t expected Gabriel to be so… forward with that question. But business was business and if he required a “plus-one” it wouldn’t be so bad for her to go. 

“And before you start making excuses, I’ve got something in mind that I feel would suit you wonderfully.” He added, his hand resting on her shoulder. Nathalie reached up to cover his hand with her own.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” He snorted in amusement at her questioning his capability as a designer.

Nathalie sighed and looked back up at the stars. She could just make out the constellation Cygnus behind the slight haze and the iron frame of the window. If they were going to bring up unpleasant business, she might as well do it now. 

“Adrien asked me earlier about attending a party with some of his friends.”

“No.”

“I…. wasn’t asking permission for him. He gets just as lonely as you do and I think it would be nice for him to interact with other kids his age.”

“He has Ms. Bourgeois.”

“Forgive me, but Chloe hardly counts… I said he could go.” Gabriels hand left her back and he lurched away, glaring.

“Who gave you the right to make that decision for _my son_?” He snarled as he stood over her, his eyes narrowed. Had this been a few years ago, Nathalie might have shrank back and apologized. Instead, she stood her ground.

“He can’t spend the rest of his life locked up in this mansion when he isn’t doing things you approve _months_ in advance.” She didn’t yell at him, but she kept her tone firm. 

“I don’t keep him locked up like some fairytale princess.” Gabriel spat, his anger rising as he began to pace. ‘...like a caged tiger.’ Nathalie thought to herself sadly before trying a different tactic.

“Maybe you don’t anymore, but you have to give him room to be a _kid_.”

“He’s sixteen.”

“ _Exactly_! He’s _sixteen_. And in that time, he’s had five friends, gotten to go on _three_ class trips, and had to live a literal double life just to get out of the house sometimes.” She sighed. “You’ve gotten better, please let him have this.”

“I will, but there will be consequences for the disrespect you've shown tonight.” Gabriel turns on his heel and storms away, leaving her to the dark and silence. For the first time since they started, Nathalie realized just how cold the lair felt when one was there alone.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Gabriel didn’t speak to her, nor the day after that. By the third day, Nathalie was beginning to feel like she may have single-handedly undone all the progress the man had made. Adrien had gone to his friend’s party and had a wonderful time, but Gabriel had lacked any real investment in any conversation the two of them had engaged in. And any conversation with her had been short and indirect, mostly work related.

As the night of Mr. Darcy’s banquet loomed closer, Nathalie began to wonder if Gabriel’s invitation was still valid. She was surprised when she entered her room one day to find a beautiful gown laid across the foot of her bed. the material had looked black at first until she examined it closer and found it to be a deep, dark, midnight blue. as she ran her hand over the material, she took note of the intricate beadwork, cut, and sizing. Gabriel had been right, of course. How the man was able to guess a person's measurements correctly just by looking at them, she couldn’t begin to understand. But the dress was truly a stunning masterpiece. She wrinkled her nose as she carefully hung the dress on the back of her closet door.

Gabriel was designing when she found him, his brow furrowed in concentration as he added color here, adjusted a line there. Nathalie quietly closed the door behind her and quietly cleared her throat. When he looked up at her, she felt her throat go dry.

“I… I wanted to thank you… the dress is gorgeous, but…”

“You’re still going with me.” It wasn’t a question. Nathalie looked down and nodded. 

“If that’s really what you want.” A stiff nod was her only answer and she took her leave of him. The tension in the room had been suffocating and Nathalie could only imagine how much worse it would have gotten had she not given him space.

Later that night, she had to go searching for Gabriel again, since he hadn’t joined Adrien for dinner, only to find him waiting for her like there was no reason hanging in the air for them to not have their weekly ‘picnic’. Nathalie takes his silent offer to sit and they remain like that, in stony silence. After some time, the pressure became too much and Nathalie felt a tear slide down her cheek. She tried to quickly brush it away but too late, she knew she was noticed. She gasped softly through her quiet sobs as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to him. 

The action was enough to break the floodgates behind her eyes and Nathalie began to cry. Though she could feel Gabriel rubbing her back, she could also feel the way moisture was also building in her hair from his own tears.

“I’m sorry.. I’m so sorry…” They both seem to whisper to each other, taking the broken pieces of their friendship and trying to put them back together. They end up staying up there all night, just holding each other, with only the light of the moon to guide them.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“This is ridiculous,” Nathalie lamented, trying to twist her hair into something more acceptable. She had tried up, down, half up, nothing had really looked right with the gown. Gabriel had given her more than enough free reign with her hair and had only suggested some makeup and accessories. When she pulled the pins out for the twentieth time, however, he felt the need to take over and aid her. He carefully removed the last of the pins and drew her brush through her long hair. He gathered it carefully at the base of her crown, securing a portion into her usual bun, but keeping a few sections out that he braided and wove around and throughout before securing them with pins with flowers at the end. 

“There, perfect.” He said, spraying the finished product down and going to wash his hands. Nathalie caught a glance of his work and her eyes widened in wonder. 

“Thank you.” She turned to face him fully. Gabriel nodded and offered her a hand.

“We have to leave now if we’re going to make it in a timely manner.” 

She agreed and took his arm, letting him lead her out of the room and down the stairs.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Nathalie whispered an hour later. They watched as various members of the Parisian elite meandered around the elaborate ballroom. Gabriel had interacted when it was necessary but had been content to attach himself to a wall, away from most of the crowd, and she had taken it upon herself to remain by his side, his anchor in the sea of people. 

“I’d have left already if it would have been acceptable.” He admitted, biting the inside of his cheek. Nathalie placed a hand on his shoulder and offered him a reassuring smile. 

“There’s nothing keeping us from going outside for some fresh air.” She suggested, feeling a bit of strain from how many people there were as well. Gabriel followed her lead and the two exited into a small side garden. 

“Is this better?” Nathalie asked, releasing his hand so that they could walk more comfortably. Gabriel nodded, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. They walked and talked a bit, eventually coming to a bench where they could sit and rest. As they conversed, Nathalie glanced up at the sky. 

“It’s beautiful…”

“Yes… you are.” Gabriel answered without thinking about what she’d actually said. Nathalie looked back at him with her brow raised.

“What?”

“Oh, I mean…” He shook his head, he knew he couldn’t hide his thoughts anymore. “I mean it… You look amazing.” He gave her a small smile. He could hear the music change so a slow, melodic tune that he vaguely recognized and he swallowed, standing to move in front of her with a hand extended.

“Would you grace me with a dance Mlle. Sancoeur?” Nathalie looked up at him and a small smile crossed her own lips as she read the unspoken meaning of his question and took his hand.

“I thought you might never ask” she whispered, letting him pull her to her feet and into a waltz.


	4. Chapter 4

“Everything looks to be in order, M. Agreste.” Nathalie murmured, playfully addressing him as she reviewed the document he had sent to her email for review. The last six months had been a bit of a whirlwind for both of them. Thanks to a candid photograph someone had taken of them at the banquet and promptly sent out to every news outlet, the entire country if not the world had found out about their relationship. Gabriel had handled the more direct portion of addressing the rumors, while Nathalie had been behind the scenes running damage control. In the end, however, they both found it was much easier to just admit that, while the photograph of Gabriel kissing her was misleading, the outcome had been them forming a more romantic bond. HR had been a nightmare to deal with, but with a bit of persuasion and intimidation, Nathalie had been able to keep her job. Now however, with the company growing, Gabriel had been more intent on making her a joint owner of his business, something she had originally been opposed to until Gabriel had pointed out she had been acting as the CEO for years, now she would just have the title and paycheck to go with it. 

“Besides,” he had said over dinner the previous night, “It’s not like I trust anyone else with this.” She finally relented and by the next morning, he had forwarded her a new contract forming the details of the shares Gabriel would be assigning to her, as well as any additional duties she would be taking over from him full-time.

“Did you read the whole thing?” Gabriel asked near her right ear. Nathalie looked up at him and shook her head. 

“I like to be thorough.” She replied, looking back to her phone, which had the document pulled up. She was vaguely aware of Gabriel moving away from her for a moment. Probably to refill his glass, she assumed as she continued to skim the lines. The nights had gotten warmer, which had allowed them to resume their stargazing outside at the original location. As Nathalie read, she became confused.

“Gabriel, I’ve reviewed the contract and while everything looks fine I do have a question about this subclause near the end. It just says ‘say yes’ which is rather confusing. Did it slip past your proofreading system?” Gabriel moved closer to her again to read over her shoulder and looked at the indicated section. 

“No, it’s right.” He shrugged. Nathalie put her phone down to look at him incredulously.

“What do you mean it’s right? All it says is say-” she noticed the velvet ring box in his hand and froze. “...no… you didn’t…”

“You’ll have to see for yourself.” He chuckled, opening the box to reveal a simple but elegant ring. “You’ve been my rock for years, I figured it was time that I actually gave you one.” he added lamely. Nathalie shook her head, unable to stop the laughter and tears as she wrapped her arms around him. 

“Of course I will.” She kissed his cheek.

\-----------------------------------Epilogue------------------------------------

“You know Adrien, I really prefer to be able to actually see where I’m going.” Nathalie playfully scolded her stepson. Adrien had hit a growth spurt in the last year, the eighteen year old now towered over her just like his father did. Adrien chuckled softly and made sure she didn’t hit anything as they walked through the doors of the mansion. Gabriel had agreed that he and Nathalie needed a change of scenery. The mansion had been home to them both but it carried too many memories of Emilie and the past for the couple to live comfortably. They’d built a home in a different part of the city, closer to their favorite stargazing place, and Gabriel had allowed Adrien and his friends to continue to use the mansion as a base of operations, since the heroes still found work from time to time. 

“Nathalie, I promise you I’m not going to let you fall or get hurt, Father would kill me if I did.” He guided his new stepmother to the base of the stairs and uncovered her eyes. “Okay, now you can look.” 

When she looked up, it was at the wall that had still been bare when she’d seen it last. 

“Adrien…” She gasped, covering her mouth. 

“I thought it would be a good reminder that not everything has to be decided by our circumstances. You and Father made horrible choices…. but what you really needed was just understanding. and together, you’ve built a better life than you could have had otherwise.” He explained. “I wanted to put it up to remind myself that a happy future is sometimes right in front of me, if I’m willing to look past the past.” 

Nathalie wiped her eyes and nodded, looking back to the wall. Where the painting of father and son once had hung, foreboding and gloomy, casting a dark shadow on the room; now hung a new painting, one of her, with her now-husband, the painting featured them both sitting on a bench looking up at the stars.


End file.
